House Dem Indicted On Fraud Charges, Facing Up To 53 Years In Prison
MIAMI, FL— A federal grand jury has handed down a crushing indictment against Democratic Rep.Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, charging her with a "selfish, cynical crime" that could put her behind bars for the rest of her life.
"Robbing Taxpayers"
The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that the Congresswoman, who represents Florida’s 20th District, and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, allegedly stole approximately $5 million in FEMA disaster-relief funds. Prosecutors claim they diverted an overpayment tied to a COVID-19 vaccination contract awarded to their family company, Trinity Healthcare Services, and funneled the cash directly into her 2021 congressional campaign.
"Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime," said Attorney General Pam Bondi. "No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain."
The Straw Donor Scheme
The indictment outlines a complex conspiracy to conceal the source of the illicit funds. Prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick and co-defendant Nadege Leblanc utilized a "straw-donor" scheme, arranging for friends and relatives to donate money to the campaign that actually originated from the stolen FEMA contract.
[Diagram of the alleged money laundering scheme: FEMA -> Trinity Healthcare -> Personal Accounts -> Straw Donors -> Congressional Campaign]
If found guilty, the 46-year-old lawmaker faces a prison sentence of up to 53 years, while her brother could receive up to 35 years.
Scrutiny Was Mounting
The criminal charges follow months of intensifying scrutiny regarding her family's pandemic-era finances.
The Lawsuit: In late 2024, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management sued Trinity Healthcare Services, alleging the firm overcharged the state by $5.8 million and refused to repay it.
The Income Spike: An ethics investigation flagged a massive increase in Cherfilus-McCormick’s personal income in 2021, which jumped by over $6 million compared to the previous year, largely due to "consulting fees" from Trinity.
Tax Fraud: The new indictment also accuses her of conspiring with tax preparer David K. Spencer to file false returns, mislabeling campaign expenses as business deductions to reduce tax liabilities.
"A Sad Moment"
The political fallout was immediate. Elijah Manley, who is challenging Cherfilus-McCormick in the Democratic primary, issued a blistering statement on X.
"Today’s indictment... is a sad moment for the people of Florida’s 20th Congressional District," Manley wrote. "I am disappointed that the Congresswoman abused the power she was given and instead used it to enrich herself and her family. The people of FL-20 are ready to move past this era of fraud, corruption, and distractions."
Cherfilus-McCormick, the only Haitian-American Democrat in Congress, won her seat following the death of Alcee Hastings. Now, her tenure is overshadowed by allegations that her path to power was paved with stolen disaster relief funds.
'Guilty Of Fraud' - Hammer Dropped On Former First Lady Jill Biden During Live Fox News Segment
McEnany Accuses Jill Biden Of Misleading Americans About Debate Performance
Posted July 15, 2026
Former White House press secretary and Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany accused former first lady Jill Biden of misleading the American public about President Joe Biden’s condition following his widely criticized debate performance during the 2024 campaign.
McEnany made the remarks Thursday during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom,” where she reacted to comments Jill Biden reportedly made in her upcoming book regarding the president’s performance during the debate that ultimately intensified questions about his age and fitness for office.
The discussion began when co-host Dana Perino referenced remarks Jill Biden made immediately following the debate.
At a campaign event after the debate, Jill Biden praised her husband’s performance.
“Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question,” she said at the time.
Perino contrasted those comments with more recent claims attributed to Jill Biden and raised questions about the apparent inconsistency.
“So now we know that this is what she’s saying in her book,” Perino said. “And the question I would love to ask her is where are you lying then or now?”
McEnany responded by arguing that Jill Biden’s reaction following the debate was inconsistent with her more recent descriptions of the event.
“It’s a great question,” McEnany said.
“That is not the reaction of someone who believes they just watched their husband have a stroke. It is an absolute lie.”
McEnany then accused the former first lady of concealing concerns about the president’s condition from voters.
“It was fraud,” she said.
“What she did fraud on the American public and she’s continuing it by saying she had never seen him like that before or after.”
The debate between Biden and President Donald Trump became a turning point in the 2024 election cycle, with many Democrats publicly expressing concern about Biden’s performance and his ability to continue his campaign.
Questions about Biden’s age and mental sharpness had circulated for years, but the debate intensified those concerns and fueled calls from some Democrats for him to step aside.
During the Fox News discussion, McEnany referenced comments previously made by veteran journalist Carl Bernstein regarding Biden’s condition behind the scenes.
“Dana, you all remember Carl Bernstein, who said he talked to people who knew Joe Biden, loved Joe Biden, supported Joe Biden, and they were adamant that what we saw was not a one-off,” McEnany said.
According to McEnany, Bernstein reported that individuals close to Biden had observed similar episodes before the debate.
“They said it had happened 15 or 20 times prior, him losing his train of thought,” she said.
McEnany also cited a fundraiser Bernstein reportedly described.
“He described a fundraiser where he froze up and seemed to have some type of rigor mortis,” she said.
“This is not something that was a one-off.”
McEnany argued that concerns about Biden’s condition were widely known among those close to him.
“This was well known,” she said.
She then questioned why Jill Biden continued publicly defending her husband following the debate.
“So why did she keep up with the fraud on the American people?” McEnany asked.
The former first lady has repeatedly defended her husband and rejected claims that she or members of his inner circle concealed concerns about his health, Breitbart News reported.
The debate over Biden’s condition became one of the defining political stories of the 2024 election cycle and continued after he ultimately left the race.
McEnany’s comments reflect ongoing scrutiny surrounding what Biden’s family, advisers and top Democratic officials knew about his condition and when they knew it.
Neither Jill Biden nor representatives for the former president immediately responded to McEnany’s latest remarks.
As new books and accounts from those involved continue to emerge, questions surrounding Biden’s final campaign and the decisions made by those closest to him remain a major topic of political debate.
